Volume 1: Entering Great Qin for the First Time Chapter 43: Discussion of Land (I)

  Weng Tong finished speaking, and Hu Hai looked at the other several ministers who had also shouted "unacceptable". Before Hu Hai could ask, the remaining ministers said in unison: "We think so too."

  Hu Hai curled his lip and said, "Nima, you think I have a masochistic tendency and want to play with whips?"

  "Li Ai Qing, can you tell me the truth?"

  He guessed that this Win Teng should be Zong Zheng, thinking that he should be his own elder, but unfortunately he didn't know what kind of elder this elder was, and even more didn't know how to address him, so he could only call him like this.

  As expected, as soon as Hu Hai's words came out, the expressions of the senior officials in the great hall were all very colorful. Lao Ying Teng's white eyebrows even jumped wildly. Hu Hai immediately knew that he had called himself incorrectly, but damn it, how was I supposed to know what to call myself!

  Hu Hai could only pretend he didn't see the expressions of the many officials below the hall, smiling as he looked at Li Si.

  Li Si was also helpless against Hu Hai, as Ying Zheng was Hu Hai's uncle-grandfather generation.

  "I report to Your Majesty, I have already informed the elder Zong Zheng."

  Li Si said, winking at Huhai. Huhai saw Li Si wink at him, first stunned, then suddenly came to his senses, and smiled gratefully at Li Si.

  "Is this reason not enough, Lao Zong?"

  "Your Majesty is the master of all people, whether right or wrong, should not be punished, let alone punished in front of all people."

  Ying Tong heard Hu Hai's new title and glanced at Li Si with a faint gaze, saying stiffly. The stiff tone made Hu Hai choke for a moment. Hu Hai also got a bit angry, with a wicked smile on his face, said:

  "But I fear My Imperial Decree has already left Hangu Pass by now. What does Old Ancestor think should be done?"

  "This..."

  "Since you, old minister, also say that I am the Son of Heaven, can my imperial edicts be called golden words and jade speeches? Can they be issued in the morning and changed by evening? As the master of all people, I should set an example for the world. Now that my edict has been issued, if it is repeatedly changed, how can I lead the people? How can I conduct myself in front of the people? Are you trying to make me lose the trust of the people? Or do you not want me to... occupy this throne?"

  Hu Hai's face had long since lost its smile, and after a pause, he finally said something that scared everyone to death.

  "Your humble servant dare not!"

  When Winteng heard Hu Hai's last sentence, which was extremely calm, he suddenly shook his whole body, turned pale and hastily knelt down on the ground, trembling with fear.

  "Your Majesty, calm your anger!"

  Li Si and others did not expect Hu Hai's counterattack to be so fierce, the words he asked were all piercing to the heart, this is a typical way to force someone to death, they quickly knelt down on the ground and shouted loudly.

  Huhai didn't speak, and all the senior officials in the great hall were also nervous, not even daring to breathe. The previous moment Huhai was like a spring breeze, but the next moment he turned ruthless. It is said that the heavenly will is unpredictable, now they have experienced it.

  The air in the great hall seemed to have solidified at this moment, and it was extremely quiet.

  "Hehe."

  Huhai suddenly laughed, his smile clear and bright, with no trace of his previous anger on his face.

  But the ministers all bowed their heads and knelt on the ground, unable to see his expression. The high-ranking officials who heard his laughter thought that His Majesty was furious and laughed back, so they buried their heads even lower. After Hu Hai finished laughing, he got up a bit awkwardly, sat cross-legged for half a day, and his legs had gone numb long ago.

  Hu Hai walked slowly down the hall, stopped in front of Ying Tong, bent his body and stretched out both hands to firmly grasp Ying Tong's arms, saying: "Old ancestor, please get up quickly." As he spoke, he used force to pull Ying Tong, who was deeply kneeling on the ground, up to his feet.

  "I know that the old ancestor is loving and cherishing my body, it's for my face. But now our great Qin is in a precarious situation due to the mistakes of the past, fortunately, I was awakened by the emperor, and for our great Qin to receive this minor punishment is nothing. Compared to the prosperity of our great Qin for ten thousand generations, what is my face worth?"

  Hu Hai stared at Ying Zheng's solemn words.

  "Your Majesty..."

  Yinteng was moved to tears by these few words from Hu Hai, and he choked with sobs.

  "I know that the elder is sincere in his heart and worries about our great Qin, but he does not have the intention I just mentioned. However, you all must remember that when it comes to the mountains and rivers of our China, I can give up everything, let alone trivial matters such as flogging or personal dignity. My surname and life are also not worth cherishing."

  Huhai's words were firm and resolute, making everyone know that if that day really came, he would do so. Huhai's loud words made all the kneeling officials tremble with fear, and in the midst of their surging emotions, they shouted out loudly. They completely ignored the two characters "Huaxia" in front of the Great Qin mountains and rivers.

  "Long live Your Majesty! May you live forever!"

  "My dear ministers, calm down. The matter of punishment has been decided by me, and it shall not be discussed again!"

  Hu Hai made a decision with one word, and then said to the still sobbing Lao Ai: "Lao Gong is the head of the imperial clan and the pillar of the country. You must take good care of your body."

  When Hu Hai spoke, Lao Ai hastily and respectfully knelt down on the ground and knocked his head to say: "Thank you, Your Majesty! The old minister now hears your words and only knows your will. The old minister is afraid, willing to hold the whip for Your Majesty to take responsibility for this whip! I hope Your Majesty will allow it!"

  When Hu Hai heard the words of Lao Ying Teng, he hesitated for a moment, then immediately responded with alacrity: "Good, tomorrow morning let Lao Zongzheng be the one to administer these thirty lashes for me. Lao Zongzheng, please rise quickly."

  The main reason why Hu Hai agreed was that a previous sentence by Ying Teng reminded him.

  Hu Hai was the emperor, apart from the present-day Ying Tong, it's likely that the entire Xianyang and even the entire Qin Empire couldn't find anyone who dared to whip Hu Hai, except for the remnants of the six states.

  Although Lao Ai was already advanced in years, as the most senior member of the Ying clan and holder of the office of Zhong Zheng, personally administering corporal punishment to Hu Hai, who was also a descendant of the Ying clan, was quite fitting.

  The dispute over the whip was thus lightly resolved by Hu Hai, and most importantly, after this incident, the imperial ministers also understood from Hu Hai's words that he had made up his mind to revive the Great Qin, and they did not dare to be careless again.

  Before, Hu Hai had never been an emperor, nor even a minor official managing a few people. However, the many palace dramas and stories of later generations told too much about the ways of power struggles and the art of ruling with both kindness and severity, allowing Hu Hai to become more and more skilled in these arts.

  Huhai returned to his seat in the hall and looked around at those below him.

  "The day after tomorrow, I will personally go to the Weishui Great Camp. I have my own plan, and you, dear ministers, do not need to persuade me again."

  "Yes!" The officials in the hall hastily responded with solemnity.

  Hu Hai was very satisfied with the attitude of the ministers below, and after a pause, he threw out another unexpected remark that caught the high-ranking officials of the Great Qin Empire off guard.

  "I have summoned you all here tonight, and apart from the aforementioned matters, the most important issue is about the most fundamental and severe land problem in our Great Qin."

  The current land system of Great Qin still follows the institutional reforms of Shang Yang's reform, implementing land nationalization and state allocation.

  Based on the strengthened thought of land nationalization, after granting land, the boundaries were set and private changes were not allowed; such as each rural household obtaining an equal amount of land and paying taxes to the state; those who worked hard in farming could be exempt from corvée labor (labor service and military service), etc. The "Records of the Grand Historian: Qin Shi Huang Benji" states that if one thousand stones of grain were paid to the state, a first-class noble title could be obtained. According to the system at that time, those with higher noble titles could become officials.

  The Qin state had established the "Order to Open Up Wasteland" during Shang Yang's reform period, and later established the "Land Laws". The implementation of these land management regulations greatly promoted the development of agriculture in the Qin state, laying a solid material foundation for the eventual destruction of the six states and unification of the world.

  At the same time, the six nations of Guandong had already completed their land privatization reforms. Shang Yang's reforms thus deprived the nobles of their privilege to occupy state-owned land, directly damaging their economic interests.

  If Shang Yang's reform was to privatize state-owned land, these nobles would probably have raised their hands in support. History has no assumptions, so after Qin Xiao Gong passed away, Shang Yang was torn apart by chariots.

  After the First Emperor destroyed the six states, Li Si and others re-established the national system. On the basis of implementing land nationalization and state allocation, in order to solidify the rule, it also recognized private land ownership.

  It was this policy after the establishment of the Great Qin that allowed the old aristocracy of the six states and the nobles and wealthy households of the Great Qin to use means such as annexation, coercion, forced buying and selling to swallow up large tracts of land originally allocated to ordinary people. Many newly opened wastelands also concealed and did not report them to avoid taxes and reduce national fiscal revenue;

  A large number of ordinary people without land either became servants or slaves of these aristocratic families, or they went to the mountains and became bandits, bringing serious hidden dangers to social order. This is also one of the reasons why the Qin Dynasty was overthrown by a surging peasant uprising in a short period of time.

  Although Hu Hai did not understand the actual land situation of Qin at that time, he knew a little from later generations. At this time, Qin was the beginning of China's feudal society for more than 2,000 years, and the feudal society was based on the exploitation of peasants or surplus labor by the feudal landlord class.

  When Hu Hai said this, Li Si, Feng Quji and Wei Lü were all taken aback. Hu Hai had never mentioned this matter to them before. However, they were not unfamiliar with the current land annexation, and they knew and understood some of the situation. Today, hearing Hu Hai mention it suddenly, although surprised, they still wanted to hear what the emperor, who was known for his shocking moves, had to say.

  The three dukes of the empire did not move, so the remaining senior ministers were surprised but dared not to take the lead, so they sat quietly without moving.

  The hall below was completely quiet, and Hu Hai found it a bit strange. He paused for a moment before continuing.

  "Now, the land granted to countless common people in various prefectures of our Great Qin is either being secretly seized by remnants of the six states or taken away by local aristocratic families. Furthermore, local nobles, wealthy households, and corrupt officials are stirring up trouble, while the laborers in various parts of our Great Qin are left with no food to eat and no clothes to wear, becoming either vagrants or bandits."

  I am the master of the world, and now all these evil deeds are imposed on me. So that the remnants of the six states rebelled again, countless rioters swarmed to join them, I want to thoroughly eliminate the causes of this national disaster, extinguish the evil of the people, and the people are the foundation of the country.

  To let our great Qin regain the hearts of all people under heaven, we must start from the foundation of the people - land. Therefore, I want to re-examine and re-measure the land that our great Qin currently possesses."